U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Louis Dietz
ORLEANS -- Louis William Dietz, 81, of Orleans died Wednesday, June 24, 1998, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney following a lingering illness.
Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Stamford. The Rev. Thalia Woodworth will officiate. Burial will be in the Orleans Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Mitchell-Nelson Funeral Home in Oxford.
Mr. Dietz was born on Dec. 12, 1916, southwest of Orleans in Harlan County to Phillip and Margaret (Pyell) Dietz. He farmed between Stamford and Long Island, Kan.
He married
Blanche Vincent of Long Island in the Methodist parsonage in Phillipsburg, Kan. They farmed in the Orleans and Alma areas until moving into Orleans in 1958.
Mr. Dietz worked for Ray Mitchell in the furniture store and the funeral home. He also worked for the Missouri Valley Construction Co. as manager of its hot-mix plant and operated the Village Inn Cafe in Orleans for 15 years until his retirement.
He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Stamford.
Survivors include one son, Donald of Grand Island; three granddaughters; four great-grandchildren; three brothers, Ed Dietz of Orleans and Robert Dietz and Lawrence Dietz, both of Alma; and three sisters, Alive (Mrs. Velvin) Higby of Alma, Pauline (Mrs. Orville) Holterman of Long Island and Dorothy Duval of McCook.
His wife died in 1993. He also was preceded in death by two brothers, Phillip Dietz Jr. and Paul Dietz; and two sisters, Minnie Claypool and Lula Fritson.
Carl Anderson
STROMSBURG -- Carl E. Anderson, 92, of Stromsburg died Thursday, Dec. 18, 1997, at York General Hospital.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Stromsburg. The Revs. Bob Johnson and Russell O'Hara will officiate. Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday in Sunrise cemetery in Wahoo.
Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Anderson-Dodds-Palmer Funeral Home in Stromsburg.
Mr. Anderson was born on Feb. 24, 1905, at Randal Valley, S.D., to Emil and Hildor (Mostrom) Anderson. He attended school in Randal Valley.
He married
Ellen Landholm on March 22, 1944, at Bristow.
The couple lived near Bristow, where he farmed until 1973. They then retired to Ceresco. They lived there until 1992, when they moved to Park Villa Apartments in Stromsburg.
Survivors include his wife; one daughter, Karen Griffith of Riverside, Calif.; two grandsons; and two brothers, Oscar and Melvin, both of Bristow.
He was preceded in death by three brothers and two sisters.
Betty Jean Blackman
AINSWORTH -- Betty Jean Blackman, 71, of Ainsworth died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services were on Friday at the Ainsworth Cemetery. The Rev. Bruce Beebout officiated.
Hoch Funeral Home of Ainsworth was in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Blackman was born on March 30, 1926, at Hartington to Albert and Ellen (Pickering) Clarence.
She married
Harold M. Blackman on Aug. 19, 1952, at Orange City, Iowa. They lived in Laurel and Hartington before moving to Ainsworth in 1962.
She was a member of the Brown County Hospital Auxiliary and Does Drove 54.
Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Marsha (Mrs. Lyle) Lewis of Montpelier, Idaho, and Debra (Mrs. Bob) Palmer of Grand Island; one son, Clay of Omaha; four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by three sisters, Charlotte Ferris, Dorothy McDonald and Frances Crandall.
Judith Reineke
BURWELL -- Judith D. Reineke, 59, of Burwell died Thursday, Dec. 18, 1997, at the Community Memorial Health Center in Burwell.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the First Congregational Church in Burwell. Burial will be in Kent cemetery near Taylor.
There will be no visitation. Memorials are suggested to the Burwell Park Fund.
Eberle-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Burwell is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Reineke was born on Feb. 8, 1938, at Boone, Iowa, to Lawrence and Pansy (Phipps) Mohler. She moved with her family to Fort Dodge, Iowa, where she graduated from high school. She later worked for the local telephone company.
She married
Jerry Reineke on Jan. 8, 1961, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. They lived in Burwell and ran a clothing store until 1968. They then bought the old Blueberry Hill Filling Station, which they later moved. It became the Blueberry Truck Stop, where she served as manager. The couple sold it in 1993 and retired. She had been in the Community Memorial Health Center since March.
She wrote a newspaper column titled "Of Better Days."
She was a member of the Kent Corner Club, Garfield County Historical Society and First Congregational Church. She enjoyed collecting antiques, traveling and gardening.
Survivors include her husband; one daughter, Misty (Mrs. Steve) DeLashmutt of Burwell; two granddaughters; and one sister, Jan (Mrs. Mike) Brown of Fort Dodge, Iowa.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Leona Criffield
HAZARD -- Leona M. Criffield, 80, of Hazard died Friday, Dec. 19, 1997, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Hazard United Methodist Church. The Rev. Arnold Kramer will officiate. Burial will be in Highland Park cemetery in Ravenna.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Rasmussen Mortuary in Ravenna.
Memorials are suggested to the church.
Mrs. Criffield was born on Sept. 16, 1917, in Sweetwater to Andrew and Rosa (Pritschau) Keldsen. She was educated at Sweetwater.
She married
Myrl Criffield on Aug. 25, 1936, in Kearney. The couple lived on a farm in Sherman County. They retired to Hazard in 1991.
She was a member of the Hazard United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women.
Survivors include her husband; one daughter, Jean Tesmer of Hazard; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; one brother, Alvin Keldsen of Kinnear, Wyo.; and one sister, Erma Capellen of Hazard.
She was preceded in death by one brother and one sister.
John Mattson
John L. Mattson, 36, of Grand Island died Sunday, April 4, 1999, at Lakeview Rehab Nursing Center.
Services are pending with Kleine Funeral Home in Grand Island.
Wilmer Anderson
STROMSBURG -- Wilmer A. Anderson, 92, of Stromsburg died Sunday, April 4, 1999, at Annie Jeffrey Memorial County Health Center in Osceola.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Stromsburg. The Rev. Bob Johnson will officiate. Burial will be in the Stromsburg Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday at Palmer Funeral Home.
Mr. Anderson was born April 29, 1906, on the family farm east of Osceola to Anton and Anna (Swanson) Anderson. He attended country school east of Osceola and graduated from Osceola High School in 1924.
After graduation he farmed with his brothers east of Osceola and then worked at the Omaha stock yards. Returning to Stromsburg, he became a cattle broker for the local farmers by purchasing cattle from Wyoming and selling them locally.
He married
Vivian Anderson, June 26, 1935, at the Covenant Church in Stromsburg.
In 1936, he started the Economy Food Store, which he owned and operated until 1972 when he retired. He continued working at the store after retirement.
He was a member of the Stromsburg Chamber, City Council, Covenant Home Board, Swede Haven Board, and held numerous offices in the Evangelical Covenant Church. He was active in the Swedish Festival and was king of the festival in 1974.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Marjorie (Mrs. Dale) Anderson of Lincoln, Katherine (Mrs. Donald) Lybecker of Fort Collins, Colo., and Mary (Mrs. Marvin) Wadell of Stromsburg; and six grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by five brothers, Albin, Oscar, Herman, Albert and John; and four sisters, Emma Nyquist, Selma Peterson, Hilma Herman, and Mary Gerdes.
